48.245 Work, Labor & Society

Work, Labor & Society

Course Details

Min Credits

3

Max Credits

3

Course ID

37377

Status

Active

This foundational course has two overarching learning objectives: (1) to give students basic empirical knowledge and analytical tools to understand the context of work in the United States at the dawn of the twenty-first century and (2) to give students an understanding of how labor unions work, what has been their impact historically, and what their role is in contemporary society. Lowell and the Merrimack Valley will be used as a lens through which to examine these larger work and labor issues. The course will be explicitly interdisciplinary, drawing on readings from history, sociology, economics, political science, and psychology to offer an introduction to understanding work and labor through and analytic lens. In addition, the course will include a service-learning component in collaboration with the UML Labor Extension Program.